Alwin reached for the glass of water beside his bed, taking it in his hand and swallowing the entire contents of his medication bottle in three quick gulps.
The pills caught briefly in his throat, causing him to cough sharply, but he managed to push them down. He straightened up, sitting on the edge of the bed, making sure not to regurgitate any of the pills.
For a long moment, he sat there, ensuring each pill had descended into his stomach, each one settling in and dissolving. It was a small ritual, one that he had perfected in the quiet, still moments before his chosen end.
The sound of water splashing over the edge of the bathtub reached his ears.
It was time.
With deliberate slowness, Alwin stood, peeling off his shirt and discarding it onto the floor. He unbuttoned his pants, sliding them down along with his boxers, leaving him bare. He walked over to the vanity, where a marble statue of a Greek deity sat, an intricate piece of art that he had never been particularly fond of, but it served its purpose now.
He weighed it in his hands, a brief, cold calculation running through his mind. Hm, it’s heavy enough, he thought, his fingers tightening around its smooth surface.
Turning off the water, he stepped into the warm bath, sinking into the water with a soft sigh of relief. The temperature of the water wrapped around him like a comforting embrace, and he allowed himself a moment to simply feel the warmth seep into his muscles, relaxing them.
This, he thought, was how it was supposed to be. A quiet, peaceful end.
He smiled faintly as he reclined, letting the edges of the bathtub support his head. Gently, he placed the statue of the god on his stomach, using it as a weight to hold him down, to keep him anchored in this moment of serenity.
The water lapped softly against his skin as he stared up at the ceiling, his vision beginning to blur and swim as the drugs started to take their effect. His eyes fluttered, trying to focus, but the edges of his thoughts were already fading into a soft haze.
The medication was doing its work.
It felt like his brain was slowly unwinding, like the nerves in his head were being unhooked one by one. The electrical signals that normally fired so furiously were being severed, leaving his body and mind in a peaceful stillness. His muscles loosened, every tense part of him releasing, until he felt nothing at all.
Nothing.
It was a beautiful emptiness, one he had longed for in the quietest corners of his mind.
His eyelids fluttered closed.
His grip on the edge of the tub loosened, and he let his body sink deeper into the water, allowing the warmth to engulf him, to pull him further into the peaceful oblivion he had always sought.
And as he descended into the calm depths of the bath, a final, soothing wave of tranquility washed over him.
Everything faded away, the last remnants of tension slipping from his mind and body.
In that moment, there was nothing but peace.
Nothing but silence.
And the promise of an end he had finally found.
Read previous chapters:
0 The Dating Club
1 The Dating Club
2 The Dating Club
*
One afternoon in The Azari Host Club chat group:
Bimo: Someone's calling me, but it's study time. The gig they're offering is expensive. Come on, I really want to take this job!
Gani: Taking a job during study hours is not allowed, Mo. You’re not suffering from amnesia, are you?
Bimo: Come on, just this one time! Please, please, please! @Arya, approve my request on the app!
Fadela: Wow, I wanna join too, then!
Bimo: @Arya!!! Answer me!!! We’ve got just one hour until the meet-up time!
Shut up, @Fadela, don’t butt in! You’ve still got your Judo competition winnings burning a hole in your pocket, you jerk!
Fadela: @Bimo, chill, bro!
Bimo: Yes! @Arya!!! ARYAAA!!!
Justin: Hahaha, being ignored...
Bimo: You jerk, Ya! Get out here, quick!
Bimo: My credit card bills are piling up, jerk!!! Don’t just do whatever you want! Have some empathy for me! You know how much debt I’m drowning in, right? Give me an exception!
Arya: That’s not my problem. As long as you’re part of my Host Club, you follow the rules. If you take a gig without approval, I’ll have your profile detained.
After typing his response, Arya shut his phone off and slipped it back into his pocket. She exhaled heavily. Once again, Bimo was acting up. Her gaze drifted to the empty seat where Alwin usually sat.
There had been no word from Alwin for the past two days. A group of girls in the class—Alwin’s newest admirers—had gathered and planned to visit his house to check if he was okay. However, the academy had kept his address under wraps.
It turned out that Alwin’s family had requested his personal information remain confidential. But Arya, with his connections to the academy’s administration, knew where to get the details. Yet, she would never share Alwin’s whereabouts with the girls.
"I don’t care if you all flip upside down, I’m not telling you anything," Arya thought to herself, smirking with a hint of malice.
She pulled her phone out again, and still no response from Bimo.
She opened the contact for Alwin, which she had obtained through an insider in the administration.
“Where are you, jerk?” She sent the message, even though she knew she wouldn't get a reply.
But not long after, her phone vibrated. A call from Alwin. Wow. Arya excused herself from the lesson to step out into a quiet spot and picked up the call.
"What, do I need to throw a celebration for you calling me first, huh?!"
“This... Is this Arya Cempaka?” A woman’s voice came through the phone.
Arya pulled the phone away from her ear and double-checked the number. Could the information she had gotten be wrong?
“Uh, sorry, yes, who is this? This is Alwin’s number, right? Did I dial the wrong number?”
“No, you’ve got the right number. This is Alwin’s mother,” came the reply.
Arya’s eyes widened. “Oh, sorry, Auntie, didn’t mean to disturb you. It’s just that Alwin hasn’t been at school for two days without any word. He’s not causing trouble again, is he, Auntie? Hahaha,” she added, trying to lighten the mood.
There was a long silence on the other end.
Slowly, Arya stopped laughing. Something was definitely wrong. She shifted her tone from playful to more serious.
“Sorry, Auntie, may I ask what’s going on? Is there anything I can do to help?”
*
Gani was dressed in a black turtleneck sweater with long sleeves, blue-wash jeans, and thin-framed glasses that fit perfectly on his high-bridged nose. He stood on the sidewalk, waiting for his client, who was 15 minutes late for their appointment.
While he waited near a café and shopping mall, a few passersby turned to look at him, their gazes lingering with admiration. It wasn’t unusual for a talent scout to approach him, offering modeling opportunities, given his tall, slim figure.
From a distance, a girl came running toward him. Gani flashed his best smile and spread his arms wide.
The girl smiled back even wider, jumping into his arms and wrapping her legs around his waist. Gani caught her easily, pulling her into a tight embrace and spinning her around slightly until she shrieked in surprise.
Onlookers stared at the couple with envy, their thoughts imagining how lucky the girl was to be loved by someone as handsome as Gani.
Lyndie had been one of his regular clients for the past year. She typically requested meetings at the mall at least twice a month.
She often asked Gani to wear his black turtleneck sweater whenever they met.
"You look as handsome as always, Gan!" Lyndie praised.
Gani grinned and gently placed her hand around his arm. "Of course. If I weren't handsome, you wouldn't be with me."
Lyndie giggled, and they strolled happily through the bookstore—she loved cheesy romantic fiction—before heading to a shop that sold trinkets, where she asked Gani to help her pick out some items.
She always bought whatever Gani selected. Afterward, they spent an hour at a karaoke lounge, singing their hearts out, before enjoying gelato while chatting.
"So, how's your boyfriend?" Gani asked.
Lyndie gave a wistful smile. "Well, he's the same as always. Passion comes first for him."
Gani scooped some strawberry ice cream and fed it to Lyndie. Despite being three years older than him, they often looked like they were the same age.
Lyndie accepted the spoonful with a blush, her face brightening as she chewed. Gani decided not to bring up her boyfriend’s issues for the rest of their date.
Lyndie had once told him about her long-term relationship with her boyfriend, whom she’d been dating since high school. She’d been drawn to him because of his intelligence, passion, and his expertise in his field.
Boldly, she confessed her feelings to him, a senior who was well-known for his genius and active participation in research and international conferences.
Being beautiful and cute, Lyndie’s feelings were easily reciprocated. However, after that, her boyfriend treated her more like an accessory than a girlfriend—never taking her on real dates or showing her the affection she craved.
So, whenever she met with Gani, she felt the attention and love that she never got from her boyfriend.
To Lyndie, Gani was the embodiment of the boyfriend she wished for. He was chosen because of his intelligence and passion for his skills. She even requested that Gani wear clothes similar to those her boyfriend usually wore.
“It’s been five years now. If I asked to break up, I wouldn’t even know where to start,” Lyndie said unexpectedly, bringing up the topic of her boyfriend again. “I’ve been with him for so long that I don’t know how to let go.”
